Cities of Houston and Los Angeles Among Lead Agencies as Proven GPO Brings Data Driven Savings Model to Government Entities Facing Budget Pressures; Expansion Announced at NIGP Annual Forum

CoreTrust, a leading Group Purchasing Organization (GPO), today announced cooperative agreements with major municipalities, including the Cities of Houston and Los Angeles, to launch its public sector cooperative. The initiative—unveiled at the NIGP (The Institute for Public Procurement) Annual Forum 2025—extends CoreTrust’s proven savings model to government agencies nationwide, unlocking value in a $490 billion market underserved by traditional cooperatives.

With over a decade delivering measurable savings to Fortune 1000 companies through its $8 billion in annual purchasing power, CoreTrust is now addressing the chronic procurement inefficiencies plaguing government entities. Through lead-agency contracting, the cooperative enables government entities to access competitively bid, pre-negotiated contracts while maintaining full compliance with local procurement regulations. CoreTrust launches with awarded suppliers including Healthee for employee healthcare navigation and Pavement Management Group for infrastructure services, plus a robust pipeline across technology, office supplies, furniture, and language accessibility services.

Modern Tools That Stretch Taxpayer Dollars Without Sacrificing Compliance or Speed

"Procurement organizations are always navigating competing demands and pressures––from compliance to limited staffing and funding, to meeting the demands of our agency departments and customers," said Jedediah Greenfield, Chief Procurement Officer of the City of Houston. "Being a lead agency for CoreTrust allows us to address each of these issues, all while taking a more proactive leadership role in making governments across the country more efficient and effective."

The timing of CoreTrust’s public sector launch addresses critical market pressures. Post pandemic budget constraints and administration changes have intensified pressure on agencies to maximize taxpayer value. Meanwhile, data shows that consolidated procurement efforts have generated ~$667 billion in savings, with tens of billions more on the table by eliminating fragmented, duplicative contracting processes. With CoreTrust, agencies can leverage pooled buying power, effectively scaling volume while matching local budgets and avoiding redundant procurement cycles that historically stretch 18-24 months or more.

Key Leadership Hires Drive Public Sector Expansion

To support its public sector expansion, CoreTrust has built a national team of in-field consultants, with several key hires with deep public sector expertise, including:

• Brian Esposito, former Deputy Secretary for Procurement at the Pennsylvania Department of General Services, joins as a key consultant, bringing extensive public sector procurement experience. Previously, Esposito served as Assistant Director of Material Management at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
• Sean Carroll, former Chief Procurement Officer of the New York State Office of General Services, brings nearly a decade of experience leading and managing the state’s centralized contract portfolio of over 1,500 contracts valued at approximately $29 billion. Carroll has been involved in cooperative purchasing as a legislative advocate, advisor, member, and user at both local and state levels.
• Robert Zingelmann, former CFO of Region 4 Education Service Center (ESC), rounds out the team with his extensive background in educational service center operations and cooperative purchasing financial management.

"Public sector organizations are under immense pressure to do more with less—while navigating complex compliance and procurement requirements," said James Hallock, Interim CEO at CoreTrust. "This expansion marks a strategic evolution for us. We’ve assembled a powerhouse team with deep experience from the nation’s largest government agencies to develop a solution tailored for the public arena."

A Modern Alternative to Status Quo Cooperatives

CoreTrust's approach addresses key pain points that traditional cooperatives fail to solve:

• Single supplier sourcing per category to prevent market dilution and deliver competitive pricing
• Regional cost accommodation with labor multipliers addressing state-by-state wage variations
• Flexible RFP processes that easily incorporate unique government terms and conditions
• Spend analytics providing data-driven insights for budget optimization
• Complete bid facilitation from RFP development through contract award

"Traditional government sales cycles are painfully long—often a year or more per agency," said Guy Benjamin, CEO at Healthee. "CoreTrust's lead agency model gives us immediate access to hundreds of qualified public sector buyers through a single, compliant contract process. That's transformational for scaling in this market while maintaining the compliance standards government buyers require. We're thrilled to get Healthee in the hands of more government employees, improving their access to healthcare through the power of AI technology."

Beyond Houston and Los Angeles, CoreTrust is working with additional lead agencies including State University of New York (SUNY) Orange, Onondaga County, and the Town of Greece, New York, signaling broad appeal across municipal, education, and county segments nationwide.

For government entities and suppliers interested in joining CoreTrust's public sector cooperative, more information is available at www.coretrustpg.com/public-sector.

About CoreTrust

CoreTrust, a leading Group Purchasing Organization (GPO) since 2006, is trusted by over 3,700 businesses and government entities as an invaluable procurement partner for securing cost savings, price stability, and control over indirect spend. With over $8 billion in annual purchasing power, CoreTrust offers 125+ pre-negotiated supplier contracts across spend categories including Corporate Services, Facilities, Supply Chain and Logistics, Human Resources, Pharmacy Benefit Management, Technology, and Travel. Through CoreTrust's digital marketplace (CXP), members enjoy access to expertly curated supplier contracts, actionable insights, and significant savings—all at no cost.

CoreTrust's public sector cooperative purchasing offerings provide government entities with compliant, competitively bid contracts that maximize taxpayer value while streamlining procurement processes through lead-agency contracting and pooled buying power.

Learn more at www.coretrustpg.com and follow us on LinkedIn.

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